Acoustic apparatus.



A. H. WELKER.

ACOUSTIC APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5, Isis.

Patented Mar. H, 1916.

- rice ALEXANDER H. WELKER, 0F BERLIN, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO THE HAW- THORNE MANUFACTURING COMPANY,- INC., OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A

CORPOR ATION OF CONNECTICUT.

ACOUSTIC APPARATUS.

rrzaeso,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 14, rare.

in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing hke parts.

This invention relates to 'acoustlc apparatus and more especially, though not exclusively, to mechanically actuated diaphragm horns, and will be best understood by reference to the following speclficatlon when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings of one illustrative embodiment thereof, while its scope w1ll be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a central, longitudinal section of an acoust1c' apparatus embodying my inventlon; F g. 2 is a rear elevation of the apparatus as viewed from the righthand side of Flg. 1; and Fig. 3 is a detail, sectional view on a line 33 of Fig. 1.v l

Referring to the drawings and to the embodiment of my invention which I have there shown for illustrative purposes, 4 1s a vibratory body, preferably in the form of a metallic diaphragm, having its marginal portion secured to a suitable mounting 5, herein consisting of a casing comprlslng a back 6, a front 7 and an lntermedlate ring 8 united by a plurality of screws 9 passing through all three parts of the cas ng and through the diaphragm, thus servm not only to secure the diaphragm but to! asten the parts of the casing together. The front member of the casln 1s provided'with an aperture 10, throug whlch the sound waves produced'by the diaphragm are delivered, and I preferably employ a suitable resonator or horn 11, commumcating with said aperture. Herein, the resonator 11 is in the form of a thin tube encircling the forward end of the frontmember 7 of the casing, and fixed thereto in any suitable manner, as by soldering. As a means for excluding dust and other foreign substances from the interior of the casing 5, I preferably provide a screen 12 dlsposed across the front of the aperture 10 and held I in place by a retaining ring 13. Locatedat the back of the casing 5 is a bearing member 14 provided with a hub 15 passing through and swiveled in a bearing 16 provided in the back member 6 of the casing, and held in place therein by suitable means, herein a washer 17, secured to the hub by screws 18. For convenience of manufacture and assembling the parts, the bearing member 14 is formed in two parts, a casing or support 19 and a bearing member proper 20, the latter being provided with a shoulderedstem 21 projecting into the former and secured therein by suitable means, herein a set screw 22. Eccentrically journaled in the art 20 of the bearing member 14: is

a pow r shaft 23 suitably connected to the plunger hammer 25 interposed between the cam and the diaphragm, and mounted to slide loosely in a guideway 26 provided in the hub 15. Preferably, the end of the hammer which cooperates with the cam is provided with a suitably rounded point, which in practicewill be hardened, as will also the cam, so that it will stand the great wear to which it is subjected.

' It will now be evident that if the power shaft 23 be rotated at high speed, the rota tion of the cam 24 will cause the hammer 25 to strike the diaphragm lc'with a continuous series of rapidly recurring blows,-thus vi-' 'brating or. displacing the diaphragm. in a direction at right angles to its plane and setting up vibrations which will cause the production of sound waves, the latter issuing through the aperture 10 and through the resonator 11. While the shaft 23 may be rotated by any other suitable power means, it is herein provided with a driving member 27 in the form of a friction disk of rubber, leather, or othersuitable yielding material, clamped between two plates 28 and 29, and secured in any suitable manner to the shaft, as by means of a nut 30 thread ed onto the latter, and clamping the disk against the shoulder 31 on the shaft. The

driving member 27 is intended to directly cooperate with some suitable frictional driv-' ing means, as for example the. wheel of'a vehicle, and is intended to be moved into,

' 'an' attaching lug or ear 32, which may be fixed to any convenient part of the vehicle,

andthe bearing member 14 is swung to and fro by suitable manually operable means,

herein a cord or other flexible connection 33 7 attached tov a ring 34 encircling the part '20 and swiveled ina groove 35 provided in the latter. As a means for normally holding the driving member 27 out of contact with the wheel by which it is driven, there may be provided suitable yielding means, herein a spring 36, secured at one end to the ring 34 and at .its other end to a fixed lug 37. This forms a simple, convenient, and effective means for applying the power of the vehicle wheel directly to the power shaft of the apparatus without the use of any intermediate flexible or other connection.

The part 19 of the bearing member 14 provides a chamber or casing 38 serving to inclose the cam'24; and the rear end of the hammer 25 to protect the same from'dust, dirt and water and to provide a lubricating chamber which may contain a suitable lubri cant. By simply removing the screw' 22 and withdrawing the part 20 of the bearing member 14, the cam may be withdrawn from its chamber for urposes of inspection, and to renew the lubricant. By loosening the 1 screw 22, the bearing member 20 may be turned thereby to adjust the cam 24 with relation to the hammer 25 (see Fig. 3). This will increase or decrease the pressure on the diaphragm and cause a correspond-' ing change in the volume of sound produced by the horn. 1 a

,-W,hile I have herein shown and described I one embodiment of my invention for illustrative purposes and have disclosed and discussed in detail the construction and arrangement incidental to one specific 'appl1- cation thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is limited neither to the mere detai1s,..or relative arrangement of parts,

. nor to its specific. application hereinshown, "but that extensive deviations from the illustrative form or embodiment of the invention may be made without departing from the principles thereof.

Having thus described one embodiment of my invention, what I claim '1s:-

1. An' alarm or signaling apparatus hav I ing, in combination, a vibratory body, a cas ing for said body-and means for vibrating swing relatively to said casing about an axis transverse tothe axis of rotation of said shaft. r

2. An alarm or signaling apparatus having, in combination, a vibratory body, a casing-for said body, means for vibrating said body including a power shaft, a bearing member for said shaft, a support on which said bearing member is mounted to swing relatively to said casing about an axis transverse to the axisof rotation of said shaft, and a driving member secured to said shaft.

3. An alarm or signaling apparatus having, in combination, a vibratory body, a casing for said-body,- means for vibrating said body including a power shaft, a bearing member for said shaft, a support on which said bearing member is mounted to swing relatively to said casing about an axis transverse to the axis of rotation of said shaft, a 'driving member secured tosaid shaft, and means to swing said bearing member thereby to carry said driving member into en gagement with suitable driving means.

4. An alarm or signaling apparatus having, in combination, a vibratory body, a caspermit the oscillation of said shaft relatively to said casing.

5. An alarm or signaling apparatus hav- I ing, in combination, a vibratory body, a casing therefor, a bearing member swiveled on said casing, means for vibrating said body including a power shaft journaled in said member, and means forswinging said bearing member and shaft about the axis of said member.

6. An alarm or signaling apparatus having, in combination, a vibratory body, a casing therefor, a bearing member swiveled on said casing, means for vibrating said body including a power shaft journaled in said member, and yielding means for urging said bearing member in one direction about its axis, and means for swinging. said bearing 3 member about-its axis in opposition to said yielding means.

7. An alarm or signaling apparatus having, in combination, a horn or resonator, a diaphragm, acasing for said diaphragm and means for vibrating said diaphragm includin a power shaft, a bearing member for sald shaft, a casin in which said bearing member is mounte to swing about an axis transverse to the axis of rotation of said,

shaft. 2 1 r 8. An alarm or signaling apparatus having, in combination, ahornor resonator,'a diaphragm,- a casing for said diaphragm,

and means for vibrating said'diaphragm in-' cluding a power shaft, a bearing member for said shaft, a casing in which said bearing member is mounted to swing about an axis transverse to the axis of rotation of said shaft, and a driving member secured to said shaft. I

9. An alarm or signaling apparatus having, in combination, a horn or resonator, a diaphragm, a casing for said diaphragm and means for vibrating said diaphragm including a power shaft, a bearing member for said shaft mounted on said diaphragm casing to swing about an axis transverse to the axis of rotation of said shaft, a driving member secured to said shaft, and means to swing said shaft to carry said driving member into driving connection with suitable driving means.

10. An alarm or signaling apparatus having, in combination, a diaphragm, a casing for said diaphragm, a bearing member swiveled.upon and external of said casing, and means for vibrating said diaphragm including a power shaft journaled in said bearing member.

11. An alarm or signaling apparatus having, in combination, a diaphragm, a casing for said diaphragm, a bearing member swiveled on and external of said casing on an axis transverse to the plane of said diaphragm, and means for vibrating said diaphragm including a power shaft journaled in said bearing member.

12. An alarm or signaling apparatus having, in combination, a diaphragm, a casing for said diaphragm, a bearing member swiveled on said casing, on an axis transverse to the plane of said diaphragm, a power-shaft journaled in said bearing member and disposed at an angle to said axis, and means operated by said shaft for vibrating said diaphragm.

13. An alarm or signaling apparatus having, in combination, a diaphragm, a casing for said diaphragm, a bearing member swiveled on and external of said casing on an axis transverse to the plane of said diaphragm, and means within said bearing member for vibrating said diaphragm.

14. An alarm or. signaling apparatus having, in combination, a diaphragm, a casing for said diaphragm, a bearing member swiveled on said casing on an axis transverse to the plane of said diaphragm, a shaft journaled in said bearing member, a cam secured to said shaft within said bearing member, and a hammer interposed between said cam and said diaphragm.

15. An alarm or signaling apparatus having, in combination, a diaphragm, a casing for said diaphragm, a bearing member provided with a hub swiveled in said casing, a shaft journaled in said bearing member, a cam secured to said shaft within said bearing member, and a hammer interposed between said cam and said diaphragm.

16. An alarm or signaling apparatus having, in combination, a vibratory body, a rotary cam, a hammer interposed between said cam and said body, a casing for said vibratory body, a casing for said hammer and said cam, the second-mentioned casing being swiveled in the first-mentioned casing, a shaft bearing member secured to the secondmentioned casing, and a shaft to which said cam is secured, said shaft being journaled in said bearing member.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER H. WELKER.

Witnesses:

J. J. A. WEIR, J. A. SCELLEM. 

